Spectre: Agent of Vengence
by Green Gallant
Summary: Drabbleish. The Spectre is the living embodiment of God's wrath. See how a fallen angel fuses with the soul of a man to carry out devine justice and ultimately seek the redemption they crave. My take on the religious/supernaturally powered superhero.


_Author's Note: This is a story that has been sitting on my desktop for a while now. Going over it again, I just now realized how short the story is. And kind of felt like it didnt really accomplish anything. Until I realized that this little fic could also work as a drabble which I think it mainly is. I dont think I've done alot of drabbles in the past but I still think its an intrestring thing to write. Hope you guys like it. This is my take on the religious/supernaturally empowered superhero, The Spectre. _

**_The Spectre: Agent of Vengence_**

**_Chapter 1?_**

He is a man who has seen everything, from the dawn of time and even before that he has been here watching, waiting. He'd seen the universe's birth and its demise. As well as it's resurrection, splintering and restructuring. He is the Spectre the embodiment of God's divine wrath a being as old as time, as old as the cosmos. Aztar as he was once known was once a lowly angel that had sided against the Presence during the War of Heaven. Realizing the error of his ways during the war, Aztar realigned with the angels of Heaven and was instrumental in defeating Lucifer the organizer of the revolt who had sought to usurp Heaven's throne.

Seeking his Lord's forgiveness for his treachery and showing genuine remorse for his actions. The Father admonished him but ultimately spared the angel's life. His penance for betraying the Lord of Hosts was to take on the Lord God's anger and become a living embodiment of God' holy wrath. The angel agreed and the Lord divested himself of all his negative energy and emotions, as Aztar was reborn as the Spirit of Vengeance. Turning his skin pale gray, and his wings black as midnight. Though some would call it a fate worse than death, the spirit accepted his penance and would serve as such until the end of time.

Rather than allowing Aztar to run loose as a spirit of pure rage, the Lord downgraded the true scope of his powers so as not to be driven insane by them. And was then given his first assignment as an agent of God enacting ten terrible plagues against the people of Egypt. As time went on Aztar showed an increased willingness to kill those that had committed evil a fact that troubled the Father from time to time. As the centuries wore on the angel settled more into his role as a spirit of divine vengeance and occasionally doled out less severe punishments as he deemed fit. In time the legend of Aztar would spread throughout human history gaining him many names and faces in the process, which he would use to his advantage to terrify evildoers. Among the names he was given by the humans included Raguel, the Man of Darkness and was oft times mistaken as the Angel of Death. A notion he found amusingly appropriate, his grim and sadistic way of dealing with sinners often led to 'talks' with the Heavenly Father about his limitations. Which seemed to frustrate his master to no end and often had to tone down his powers even more to get the point across. That he was not to delight in harming mortals. Which culminated in him being temporarily sent to hell.

When Aztar finally emerged with a new understanding and abided by his laws. His time in hell haunted the Man of Darkness causing him to doubt his rightness to judge sinners. And eventually returned to Heaven to have an audience with his master. After speaking with him, the lord once again took pity on him and relieved him of his duties temporarily until he was needed again. Benching him for roughly a century. By the 1860s he was back on active roster performing minor feats of judgment. In another 60 years, Aztar's life was changed when a murdered cop in the 1930s found himself at Heaven's door but was refused access. Aztar who was standing outside the gates proposed a partnership, with the police officer that was thirsty for revenge.

Seeing he was gone before his time, the policeman agreed to it and the pair returned to Earth as a new being. Appearing to the mobsters as a man in a gray bodysuit with blue trunks and a hooded cape. The murderers were perplexed by this sight as the new being cracked his knuckles and avenged himself on the group. His ghostly appearance and the way the bullets went through him without any ill effect earned the being the new sobriquet of _Spectre. _

Though chastised by the Lord upon returning to Heaven, Aztar spoke on behalf of the policeman's soul reasoning that he could be saved. And that together they could avenge the wrongs caused by modern criminals. The Lord though hesitant, and still angry at them eventually agreed to this arrangement but warning the new duo that they still had to abide by his plans. The duo agreed and was returned to earth, with the police officer being revived in his human form as Jim Corrigan acting as his avatar. And would continue to peruse wrongdoings throughout the 40s when other costumed crime fighters came to the fore and were eventually approached by the Justice Society Of America. The world's first superhero team.

Having heard of his murderous pursuit of justice, the Society particularly Flash and Green Lantern were reluctant to work with the Spectre. Though his powers proved pivotal in the mission they were still reluctant to recruit him despite the other JSAers urging. Eventually Jay Garrick and Alan Scott, the Flash and Green Lantern inducted the Spectre into their ranks. And would be a trusted ally among the JSA as well as their most powerful member. With the Spectre himself finding a friend and colleague in fellow occult member Doctor Fate. By the end of the Golden Age of Heroes, the Spectre changed his colors from a blue and gray bodysuit. To a simple pair of green trunks, boots and gloves with his now trademark hooded cape, over his chalk white skin.

In the decades that followed the Spectre went on solo missions again as an agent of God. And would aid the newer generations of heroes as needed. And would see his greatest challenge to date as he battled a virtual god for the fate of the multiverse an infinite number of universes and worlds that were being swallowed up by an anti-matter storm. A feat that even the Spectre himself was unable to prevent. However he was able to stall the dark god known as the Anti-Monitor long enough to allow the heroes a last ditch effort to save the last remaining universes. The Spectre seeking to offset the battle sacrificed himself and detonated his body while holding down the Anti-Monitor hoping to take the creature with him. The explosion of supernatural force however didn't destroy the Anti-Monitor but instead fused the five remaining worlds together into one cohesive Earth.

Both the Anti-Monitor and the Spectre would later reform themselves, with the Spectre too weak to continue. The Anti-Monitor set his sights on the last remaining Earth. Leaving the heroes to make a last stand against the Anti-Monitor and the hero known as Superman ultimately finishing him off.

It would some time before the Spectre fully recovered and was later congratulated by the Lord for his willing self-sacrifice. It seemed as though they had finally earned the Lord's favor and with they're near destruction. The Lord fully absolved them of their sins, allowing Corrigan to return to Earth in mortal form while Aztar would be given eternal rest by the Lord God. Neither one of the men knew what to do with themselves having been the Spectre for so long and briefly contemplating turning down his offer. The Lord sensed this but still wanted to give them the rest they needed. And gave Corrigan another alternative.

Because he had willingly served as an Agent of God, the Lord would allow the soul of Jim Corrigan to reside in Heaven with him forever. Or be resurrected on Earth and start a new life, promising him either way the life and happiness he craves. Corrigan having never found love in his Earthly life, knew of just one thing he wanted. To be with the woman he'd secretly loved all his life and yet never told. The Lord honored his request and returned him to life setting him to live on the same street as his beloved. Encouraging Jim to make the best of it and to be truly happy for once in his life.

Aztar was now retired from his duties as the Wrath of God and could finally relax for the first time in millennia. And would stay in the Kingdom of Heaven until he was needed again. While Jim pursued the love of his life and would attempt to make her a part of his new existence, and resumed his duties as a police officer. But when great evil would fill the world again, the pair would reunite and right wrongs as...

**_The Spectre._**

_Author's Note: All right so what'd you think of that? This has been sitting on my desktop since last Nov. Mainly the reason for writing this is that I've seen several fics over the years where an established DC character dies and becomes the new host for the Spectre. While trying to adjust to this new role and find their purpose as an Agent of Vengeance. I decided to go in the opposite direction and focus on the original host from the comics, Jim Corrigan. As a Christian, it was interesting trying to figure out the nature of God on a theological level as well as other things. I think I might continue this to explore Corrigan's life after his resurrection. Would you be interested in that? Let me know what you think. Oh one more thing, I originally wrote this as a YJ fic. My reasoning is that since Earth-16 is a 'young' universe. I figure that Earth-16 like the rest of the new DC Multiverse was created after Infinite Crisis and therefore has an accelerated timeline since the YJ Earth is in the Second Age of Heroes. In other words this is my take on the YJ-universe version of the Spectre. _

_Please review, _

_Green Gallant. _


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